Elevator safety device



(No Model.) l

J. COOPER. ELEVATOR SAFETY DEVISE. No. 536,605. y Patented Apr. 2, 1895.

i f l E Ato IMILHTED STATES ljATENT OFFICE.

.IAMES COOPER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS'.

ELEVAToR` SAFETY DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 536,605, dated April2, 1895.

Application filed April 5,1894. Serial No. 506,410. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES COOPER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevator Safety Devices,of which' the following is a specification.

My invention relates to safety devices for elevators and has for itsobjectto provide an improved device which, when used in connection withan elevator car, prevents said car from being started when the elevatordoor is open.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a View of theelevator shaft and driving mechanism of an ordinary hydraulic elevatorwith my device in position. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 Fig. l. Fig.3 is a section on line 38 Fig. 2.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

In Fig. l I have shown a view of an elevator shaft with the elevator caromitted, the driving mechanism being of the' ordinary hydraulic type.The controlling ropes or cables A A pass through the car and move in theordinary.

manner by means of a lever on the car. The ends of these cables areattached to the cross piece A', pivoted to the support A2. Rigidlyattached to the cross piece is the arm A3 connected to the bell ,crankllever A4 by the rod A5. The other end of the lever A4is connected to thevalve rod B, said connection being made in the ordinary manner by asliding block. The valve rod B projects beyond the bell crank lever A4andextends into the tube B2. A notch B3 in said valve rod (see Fig. 3)is located so that it will come opposite the pin B4 when the valve isclosed. Said pin B4 works in a hole in tube B2 and is attached to oneend of the box or frame B5 surrounding the tube B2 and working in theguides B6. A spiral spring B7 tends to keep the pin B4 from entering thenotch B3. A coil spring Bs has one end attached to the frame B5, theother end being fastened to the flexible cord C which y extends to thetop of the elevator shaft, and

is fastened to hook C. C2 C2 are guides for cord C. Each elevator dooris provided with an arm C3, the cord C passing through a hole in the endof each arm. Any suitable device may be substituted for the coil springBE4 ing that the rod B is movedas the valve moves. In case the elevatoris run by an electric motor, this rod B would be attached to therheostat arm so that it would be locked when the elevatordoor is open.

p It is evident that the several parts may be altered in form,construction and arrangement without departing from the spirit of myinvention, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the exactconstruction shown.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows: When the elevatordoors are closed the cord C is suspended as shown in Fig. 1, and thespiral spring B7 keeps the pin B4 from engaging the valve rod B byentering the notch B3 when the valve is closed, and hence the operatorin the car can move the controlling lever or rope and hence thevalve,\and stop or start the car at will. If now the car is stopped atone of the iioors and the door opened, the arm C3 attached to said doorcarries the cord C with it (see Fig. l) and thus shortens the cord. Theframe B5and hence pin B4 is pulled forward and, since the elevator isstopped, said pin enters the notch B3 in the valve rod B. As thisdistance is very small some device must be used in connection with theframe that will allow the cord tc be moved until the door is fullyopened. Of course any suitable device may be used, the one shown in thedrawings consisting of a coil spring B8 having one end attached to theframe B5. As the cord C shortens, said spring allows its motion tocontinue after the pin B4 and frame B5 cease to move. The spring as itis pulled out, is wound up so that it exerts a pull on the frame B5 andkeeps the pin B4in the notch B3 while the door is open. said notch thisvalve'rod is held rigid, and hence the valve cannot be moved so as tostart the car. As the door is closed the cord C returns to its normalposition, and when the said c ord hangs straight the tension is takenfrom the frame B5 and the spiral spring -B7 moves the pin out of thenotch B3 and frees When said pin is in K ICO the valve rod B. Theoperator can now start the car.

As described above, the valve locking device may be said to consist oftwo parts, viz: the valve rod B and pin B4, which move freely withrelation to each other while the valve is open and which are adapted tobe locked together when the valve is closed. It is evident that theresult may be accomplished in a different manner than that shown in thedrawings although I deem such illustration suiiicient to show the natureof my invention.

It will thus be seen that I havehere adevice which prevents the elevatoroperator from` starting the car until the door is closed, thus avoidingrthe dangerofhaving personsinjured by starting to pass through the doorafter the car is in motion.

It is evident that my devicecan be used in connection with any sort of avalve, and that it may also be used in connection with arheostat arm orthe like in case of electric elevators.

I claim# l. The combination in an elevator apparatus of a motormechanism, a moving element by which said motor mechanism is controlled,a rod attached to said moving element and provided with a single notch,a pin which is opposite said notch only when the motor mechanism isstationary, but normally out of engagement With said notch, andconnections between said pin and the elevator doors, said connectionsbeing unbroken both when the doors are open and closed whereby the pinis forced into said notch when one of the doors is open, and the Valveis closed.

2. The combination with the driving mechanism of an elevator, of amoving element by which said driving mechanism is controlled, a lockingdevice for said moving element comprising two parts which move freelywith relation to each other at all times when the driving mechanism isin motion but which are adapted to be locked togetherwhen the drivingmechanism is at rest, and connections between said locking device andthe elevator doors said connections being un'brokenboth when the doorsare open and closed whereby the moving element is locked when one oftheelevator doors is open and said moving element is in the position thatbrings the driving mechanism to rest.

JAMES COOPER.

Vitnesses:

DONALD M. CARTER, WALTER J. GUNTHORP.

